Reflection.

 Having kids from different generations has given me an open view of how Easter for families was in the past and how it is now and how Easter will be in the future. I can even go back beyond me being a mother and remembering Easter for me and also of the Easter memories I heard from my siblings and parents. How things have changed!  

Over the years I have definitely been laid back on making Easter such a commercialized Holiday.  To me Easter means different things then just the Easter Bunny coming and bringing baskets full of goodies.  Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter) I like to reflect on so much.  I reflect on so much I would bore you all with the details on what I actually reflect on. I love watching Bible inspired movies that are played on many networks.  I try to listen more to Christian radio then I normally do.  I even give up my talk shows and podcast I listen to daily to just rejoice in music that is inspiring to me.  It’s about family time and just getting together.  

I only do one basket each  for my little kids. I don’t even make a big deal for my older ones. I told them I would give them a 25.00 gift card this year to a place Of their choosing. I just want plain and simple. We don’t do toys like so many families do.  I have seen families give as much for Easter as they give for Christmas.  Their was a time I wanted to do that to.  Then with much reflection I decided to not do that so I don’t take away the real reason for the Easter season.  Like I told my younger kids that we celebrate birth and death in different ways for our friends and family and we will do the same for Jesus. 

I am working Sunday night so I will miss out on Easter dinner but my family will go to my in-laws to enjoy the evening with all the family. 

With that being all said I still love holidays that all my kids can gather together.  The bond between them makes my heart happy. 

To start again or to not start again

 Wow. I remember wanting so badly to blog….to keep a journal of sort for not just me but friends and family to look back on one day. Six years was my last blog and so much has happened in six years that I could bore you all to death if I mentioned it all. Three major things did happen that I will touch on now and maybe one day dedicate a whole post to each subject.  Having two more babies with one being born at 22 weeks who is now an angel and the loss of my mother from lung and throat cancer that happened right at the height of Covid.  With Easter a few days away and the meaning of resurrection….I will try to keep up with my blog to bring it back to life.  Now to find my original blog so I can add the link on here.  

Summer endings and Fall beginnings

I know I failed on my "keeping up with my blog goal" but such a busy summer and a hot one!  Since we took our vacation to Disney in March we stayed home all summer but did some little day trips.  Summer sure did go fast!  It was nice though to have all my kids around and no routines to follow.  School started a few weeks ago for Brittney who is now in 11th grade.  Goodness another one will be flying the nest very soon.  Kevin has also started back to CCAC and still working a lot at PF Changs.  We started our school back up on Sept 12.  Our first full year of homeschooling.  Excited and nervous all at the same time.  Alyssa is in 9th, Brandon 7th and Ryan 6th.  We will also do some school things with Aiden as well.  Then Mason will just be there to entertain us throughout the day. 
With School starting that means scouts has started as well as Band.  Alyssa also starts the next dance season.  So here comes the schedule and the family always being busy. 

My goal is to blog more so my family will have these memories to share with each other in their adult life now that I have many older ones up and coming! 

So Happy Fall to you all (a few days early)  I am excited about blogging my journey of this next phase of my life! 

Fathers Day

I never got around to wishing my husband a Happy Fathers Day and let him know how much I appreciate all the hard work he does for his kids!  Not only does he work 60 hours a week then he has to come over to take over the duties as I work 35 hours a week.  Even though he had to work Fathers Day, he had Monday off and he set up the tents in the backyard and slept outside with our 10 and 12 year old sons...  I love seeing not only the father relationship he has with his kids but the friendship too.....

We are so blessed to have you Mark!!!

dance recital

It is the end of our busy Spring, our daughters dance recital!  What a joy to watch our little girl growing up over the years on the stage doing something she loves.  I will not sugarcoat it...its stressful to keep up with the lessons 3 times a week and the paying the tuition...but every year after the dance recital is over I remind myself how blessed I am to be able to watch my kids participate in things like this.

Field Trip Day!

We took a field trip on the other day (one perk of homeschooling...) and we went to Living Treasures Animal Park.  All these years I heard that we should take the kids there and they would love it!  We finally took the hour drive and took the 4 youngest and they had a blast!  We got a bag of food and went on to feed every animal we could.  They just come up and eat right out of your hand.  We also got to see some exotic animals as well.  It took a while for my boys to actually feed the animals, they thought the animals would bite right through their hand.   Then after they felt the tickle from their tongues their was no stopping them except that we were running out of food! 

So hard to get them all to look decent for a picture!

 Looked like the pony wanted to give Aiden a kiss! 

 My husband found a friend!  He even posed with him to take a selfie!

I love taking little road trips with the family.  They have a sister park that is about 2 hours North of us and we plan on going up there and taking the two girls that did not get to come along.

Blessing to you all!

OHANA

Ohana means family (in an extended sense of the term, including blood-related, adoptive or intentional).  the concept emphasizes that families are bound together and members must cooperate and remember one another.

Recently we went to Disney World and on our last day there we had Breakfast had one of our favorite on site restaurants simply called Ohana.  Its a family style buffet and characters such as Lilo and Stitch visit your table.  The atmosphere is also an added bonus.  Because of the meaning of Ohana they defiantly try to make it a family friendly atmosphere.  "Everyone is family" at this restaurant, they remind you often....even as you leave they will say something on the line of please come back again family.  Such a warm cozy feeling it leaves with you.

Well having 7 kids I know family plays a huge role in my daily living and will as my family expands.  They will marry and that could give me 7 more kids plus the lovely bonus of Grandchildren (and I secretly hope for lots and lots of them)  I love family....family is so important!  I think ahead of what it will be like when Holidays role around and they all come back to gather with us to celebrate.  Grandkids running around, siblings and their spouses reminiscing about their childhood (as they make fun of me...which they do that now so I I know they will still do that). 

Now you start thinking of extended family....ya know they will eventually branch out...they will have grandchildren of their own (I hope I live long enough to enjoy them also)  this will start the flowing of the branches.  Will they still gather?  All 50+ of us?  I sure hope so...I know it will not be easy, living out of state or work schedules or whatever it is, but I hope every effort is made for them to have the family gatherings and for them not to forget that Family is everything. 

There will always be celebrations to have,  Besides the Christmas Holiday and Thanksgiving as well as Easter,  their will be Birthdays, Anniversaries and other achievements that they will endure.  That is such a wonderful excuse for a family gathering.  I know that is buying a gift all they time and some might complain but its not  always about gift giving.  You might not think it but $5 can go a long way still and its about the thought, not the amount. 

So to sum this post up....Family is so important to have around.  Cherish the moments you have with them, create memoires for generations to come.  Do not let the family get torn apart,  Do everything you can to keep the family strong!  I will post again on how some families have inspired me to write on the family unit staying strong!